3 1/2 years old

It's official, Audrey is now 3 1/2 years old and we cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by. Yes there were days early on that we wondered how will we survive to 2 months or 3 months but here we are and it has been an amazing, educational and joyous adventure. To see the optimism and the life in everyday objects through the eyes of a toddler is truly amazing. Recently a good friend wrote a blog entry about her daughter and I absolutely loved to read about her likes/dislikes/triumphs and well the real picture of day to day life that many never to get to experience due to time, space and distance. I asked her if I could use her format in an entry about Audrey. Thanks for the inspiration.

Audrey at 3 1/2...
She loves to be silly, creating new words, songs and facial expressions to make all those around her laugh. Such as between each new song she created a little verse, "and the next song, you know the words, so sing with me." She even makes up words and says its the Spanish word for it and then just giggles. We often ask her where she learned alien speak.

She loves to play games...Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, the Lady Bug Game, Pretty Pretty Princess...the list goes on. And to create her own games where she is the only one that knows the rules. Dad usually does pretty good with these and I just get reminded that those are not the rules to listen carefully and try again.

She loves to talk about anything and everything, just be sure to listen and follow along b/c she'll catch you if you don't. :) Whether it be the leaves, the seasons, the day, her mood...she loves to chat about life. And to sing about everything, to Audrey every conversation can easily be turned into a song.

She loves books and going to the library to pick out new ones to read at bed time.

And she loves her daddy time. To see the two of them together is like magic. All eyes are a glow and the world stops around them as they play, create and laugh together.

She loves to act like different characters for the day, whether it be Annie or June (from the Little Einsteins), Dora, or one of the Disney Princesses and we are often corrected when we do not call her by her name of the day. Along with this we are often assigned a character's name as well. I am usually the mom and Len is one of the boys or a prince from the story and we all act in character for the day.

She loves to get on her "cell phone" and call her friends to come over and play. Its usually a different one/group each day but we've had pretty much every Disney character over after rest time for a play date.

When she has something really important to say she always adds in, "I am serious, I am not joking at all." How can one not laugh at this?

She loves that she knows her schedule for the week and gets excited each morning to head off to school, dance, gymnastics, story time or Sunday school. Greeting each day with mostly smiles. As I paint that rosy picture of happy mornings I am reminded from time to time that a toddler's schedule is different from that of mom or dad. For instance, this morning was Wednesday and we were trying to get ready for gymnastics. Breakfast went great and we even had time to play a game but then it was time to get dressed to leave. That was not a stellar moment b/c Audrey did not want to take her slippers off to take her pj's off to put on her leotard and there she was in her bed in tears but still wanting to go to gymnastics. But we made it and the day was great.

And then there was the mall a few weeks ago where we had a true tantrum. TWO of them. I am not used to this at all. The first was over an outfit at The Children's Place. A party type skirt with a matching sparkly pink sweater top. She told me flat out she wanted it and was not leaving the store until I bought it for her. Well that did not fly and she kept saying "I am not leaving." It was lovely. So we finally left that store and the tears were gone but the outfit not forgotten. And made our way into Build A Bear. When she decided it was Josephina's birthday (the bear she made at a friend's birthday) and that Josephina wanted new fancy socks and had to have them that night b/c it was her birthday. "How can we go home w/o a gift for her mom, she'll be so sad. Mom Josephina will be SO SAD!!!!!!" And again the tears started and the "I'm not leaving." And it went on, even after we left the store. Too smart, she knew I was buying nothing else for her after the display in The Children's Place so she twisted it to say it was for Josephina's birthday which was THAT day, so it could not wait until next time.

But even in those moments you can't help but laugh/smile/grin because she figured out a way around asking for something for herself. She is becoming so independent and strong in her ways. I know at 13 I'll love this trait as well as curse it all over again.